HON. R. SEMPLE

Hokitika Guardian, 22 May 1940, Page 7

HON. R. SEMPLE

REPLY TO ALLEGATIONS. (Per Press Association—Copyright). CHRISTCHURCH, May 21. Charges of a serious nature about conditions on construction work on the southern end of the South Island main trunk railway by an anonymous correspondent have been investigate-! by the Minister for Public Works (the lion. It. Semple). “At the outset, I wish to say that customarily I do not consider making any reply to anonymous correspondence,” replied Mr Semple, “but as in this case the charges were of a serious nature, and neither i nor executives of the New Zealand Workers’ Union were aware or ally complaints having: been made, 1 caused ah investigation to be carried out.” The correspondent alleged that the wages paid must easily be the poorest paid by any employer in New Zealand, and that the conditions were rotten. “It is a fact that on this job cooperative workers on contract work up till the end of January earned an average wage of more than XI a day, in addition to which they received free, accommodation,” said Mr Semple. “During February, a number ol men previously employed on daywages, from whom the nation was not getting a fair return for the money being paid them, were put on to coo Iterative contract, at tile tsame schedule rates as applied to the men who were able to average £1 a day under it during January. “It is true that the wages of some of these men were as low as 12s a day, as stated in the letter, but this low rate was entirely attributable to incompetency of the' men concerned. It is illuminating to learn that, notwithstanding the adverse effect of even a few parties of men, receiving only 12s a day, the general .average earned by all parties of men engaged in this class of work on the job was 17s a day a man. Subject to physics! competency—and this is insisted upon before men are engaged on all public works, so that your correspondent should be physically able to do bettei —I have always believed in a man receiving a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work, and I believe just as firmly in the converse that no man is entitled to take out of the national pool riiUre than he puts into it, For that waf physical moral, and financial bankruptcy would lie ahead of the nation.”

The correspondent reported that a strike occurred at midnight on Apri' 17, the grounds being that for four weeks a lorry without a cover had been used to transport the men to and from work, a distance of sis miles, and that complaints by the men had been ignored and sneered at by the local engineer. “In reference to the charge mad r that the'men were conveyed to and from work on a lorry, the cover of which had been off for four to five weeks, this is Unfortunately true, and departmental responsibility for the omission to have the cover repaired and replaced is acknowledged,” replied Mr Semple. “Nevertheless, there was no need fo.r the men to take di root action in the matter. It would definitely have been remedied with out delay on receipt of. a forme] complaint from the local representaiivi of the New Zealand Workers’ Union, which exists for the purpose of protecting the men’s interests and which works in close and harmonious, relationship with my departmental officers, or 1 would have known the reason why ”

Other comments b.v the correspondent were described by the Minister as“of a personal and political nature.” He did not propose to reply othei than to say it was evident the man was venting his spleen on him ano the Government, because he was »p----ing required to put his shoulder t< the wheel and do a fair day’s work 'n«tend of escaping the expenditure o‘ a- reasonable amount of energv, a app'>ren ly he had succeeded in doing before.